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LOS ANGELES, May 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on the unplanned and unprecedented pandemic remote work experiment, 29% of knowledge workers surveyed say they prefer WFH, up from 15% who were WFH pre-pandemic.

As a professional information services provider and pioneer in remote and distributed workforces, LAC Group surveyed 607 knowledge workers amid the stay-at-home orders.

Survey findings support the decisions now being made by some companies and law firms to allow employees to continue working remotely for the coming months, if not permanently. Organizations that prefer to have staff return to the workplace may need to reconsider their position. In order to feel comfortable returning to the office, 76% want stringent workplace cleaning and disinfecting and 73% want at least six feet of physical separation between workstations.

"The survey may signal a permanent shift to remote work and other alternative work scenarios, especially as organizations face continued economic headwinds that compel them to innovate, evolve and control operational costs," according to LAC Group CEO Rob Corrao.

"Corporations and law firms have had to grapple with rapid and profound changes the past few months, which has created not only workforce upheaval but financial and operational challenges," adds Mario Thériault, Chief Business Development Officer for LAC Group. "We are advising clients to work through all their options, lining up virtual and contingency resources as well as providing clients with spend reduction benchmarking and negotiation expertise."

As to job losses, fewer than 20% of survey participants were laid off because of the pandemic, and 11% of those respondents said the layoff is temporary. With the US unemployment rate at nearly 15%, this indicates that knowledge workers are faring better than other workers, partly because the vast mjority (84%) indicated that all or some of their work can be done remotely.

Finally, another notable feature of this survey is the optional sharing of personal work experiences during the height of the shutdown. The report contains a representative sampling of more than 200 comments, which companies may find helpful since employees may be disinclined to express their views directly to their employer. Those comments and stories are grouped into the topics of job security, physical health, mental health, employer handling of the crisis, work processes and technologies, and the pros and cons of working remotely versus onsite.

LAC Group provides critical knowledge and information management solutions such as competitive intelligence, research services, preservation and archival services, spend and cost management as well as knowledge management services for companies, law firms, academic institutions and government agencies. Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Los Angeles, LAC Group is a leader in delivering high-quality, cost-effective business services that help organizations manage and leverage physical and digital content and information. For more information, please visit lac-group.com.